Into the Forest Again
by cali is not dead
Summary: Smallfires group travels everywhere, meeting more strangers than friends, and making more enemies than ever.
1. Leopard

"Oi! Where are we going now?" Smallfire called out from behind the travelling group, his paws limping heavily against the grass, a large cut scarring his back leg. "I thought we'd stop back at the harbour!" he complained, trying his best to catch up.

"Well, maybe if you hadn't taken the time to walk off to find that sound we wouldn't have gotten ambushed, and we wouldn't have lost Cream!" Wolfnost snapped, her eyes angrily snapping towards Smallfire as she walked, her tail lashing in anger and frustration. "Since we've lost another member, we have no need to stop at our planned locations, so stop complaining and walk you small piece of fox-dung!"

"Wolfnose, you might need to calm down, it wasn't his fault, almost half the group said that it sounded much like a kit, and we need to help anyone we come across, especially kits." Branch said calmly, padding alongside the she-cat. "Besides, we also lost Mouse in that ensuing mess, and we couldn't find his body. Don't forget we also nearly lost Smallfire, we need to rest so we can recover."

"Yeah, listen to Branch, we need to rest. I'll collapse in another hour or so!" Smallfire said, Branch flicking his tail at the tom as a way of telling him, "Shut up!"

Wolfnose stopped to think about it, everyone else stopping behind her. "Fine, find a place to bunker down, me and Foxfire will take first watch, the rest of you, prepare yourself, cause it'll be a cold night," she announced, beckoning Foxfire to where she was and walked off deeper into the forest.

Smalfire rolled his eyes as he was approached by Branch, his brown tabby pelt looking like it was shining in the moonlight. "So, let me take a look at your wound, it looks nasty, I think Leopard might have some ideas on what we should do about it, so you might want to check with him." Branch flicked his tail over to the spotted ginger tom.

"Yeah, I know, I think he'll be a nice replacement for Crystal," Smallfire mewed. "But- what if he doesn't know how to fix it? I know he's been learning a lot under your mentorship but-"

Branch interrupted him with a tail flick. "You'll be fine, I'll do the advanced stuff, he'll do the basic stuff. You'll be fine, c'mon, where's that cat I met just two moons ago?"

Smallfire looked at Branch and let out a snort. "That cat died when we lost all those cats," he muttered. "But… thanks anyways, for real. I appreciate it."

"No problem, just make sure once your done with your checkup you come directly to me, I'll hunt you down if you forget!" Branch called after Smallfire, who responded with a flick of his tail as he made his way over to Leopard.

As he walked by he saw the other cats that he and WolfnosE had recruited into the group. Most were kittypets who longed for an adventure, and others were rogues and loners who just wanted cats to travel with. They were now fifteen cats strong, and they tried their best to make everyone happy, and Smallfire thought they were doing a pretty good job at it.

He turned his head and found Misty with Splash and Dew, all cuddled up and sleeping together, her tail wrapped around Dew and Splash pressed against her chest. Smallfire couldn't help but smile, especially at Splash. He couldn't help but feel bad for him, the poor soul had been through so much in so little time, it was almost heartbreaking. Smallfire, however, couldn't show weakness, he had to be tough, so he went on.

* * *

 _Alright, think Leopard, what would you do if a cat's leg was cut? Well I'd clean it, make sure there isn't anything that could infect it, then I would…_ Leopard didn't have time to finish his thoughts as an injured Smallfire entered the small hollow he had claimed for himself. "Oh, Smallfire! You're… earlier than I expected, haven't enough time to even prepare the stores, is your cut doing fine?" he asked the smaller tom, his tail flicking to an empty, quickly built nest.

Leopard was quite a large tom, tall but lean. His skills were more useful support other cats rather than fighting, and that's what he wanted to do. He could remember when Smallfire came across him in a back alley in a city. It was the first time he'd ben part of a group, and he didn't feel like leaving anytime soon.

"Hey Leopard, mind checking out the injury? Branch says you need to do the checkup, and he'll do the complicated stuff he'll teach you later with Shell." Smallfire plopped himself into the nest, wincing a tiny bit as the moss was tightly packed around him.

"Sorry Smallfire, I didn't have time to make the nests before you came in so-"

"It's fine, I won't banish you over a small mistake Leopard, trust me, you'll be staying here for a long time," Smallfire hummed, adjusting his leg so that it would be more comfortable to lay down.

"Yeah, sorry, just a bit insecure about this y'know?" Leopard murmured, looking at all of the herbs he had already. A few cobwebs and some dried leaves of an herb he couldn't really make out. "We don't really have a lot of herbs, Branch and I need to head out, after the check-up, I need you to relay that to him." Leopard grabbed a few of the cobwebs and padded over to Smallfire, laying next to him.

"I'll be sure to tell him," Smallfire said, wincing as Leopard lightly pressed his cut.

"Sorry, just checking for any infection. It doesn't look like it'll be infected, but have Branch look at it, I can't be too entirely sure." _I'm not even sure if I'm doing the correct thing…_ Leopard thought darkly, applying the cobwebs to the cut, making sure that it could block out any form of bleeding it could.

"Thank you Leopard, I'll look for Branch and have him know what you need," Smallfire said, beginning to get up, being stopped by Leopard pushing down on his torso.

"Don't, I'll bring him here and then I can… actually, nevermind. I think you can walk by yourself, just… don't ruin anything else, Branch will have my pelt if he finds out that I let you go without letting you recover," Leopard said calmly. "Just tell him that I finished my duties, alright?"

Smallfire nodded, smiling at the tom as he stood up and flicked his tail goodbye as he stepped out of the tree hollow. _I hope Branch doesn't get too angry…_ he murmured to himself.

Leopard nodded his head goodbye, despite Smallfire already being outside. "Now then… back to testing…" he muttered to himself, about to sit down when a tom entered his hollow.

"Hey, mind checking out something for me?" the tom asked him, Leopard flicking his tail as a sign of waiting.

"What do you need check- oof!" he grunted, being knocked down by the tom and his eyes covered.

"Guess who?"

"Seeing how Smallfire let you pass without any confrontation I'd say… maybe Shell?" Leopard guessed, shivering a tiny bit at the sudden contact.

"Hey! You got it the first try!" Shell said happily, getting off of the tom and shaking his fur.

"Wonderful, now, what do you need me to check out?"

"I had this cut for a while, maybe you could check it out? If I show it to branch he'll use it as an excuse to go out into the forest to, 'search for herbs.' " Shell said, letting out a small chuckle.

"Well, has it been itching you?" Leopard asked, looking around Shells body, examining it to find the cut.

"Well, it just stings, actually, I think it's getti-" A yowl from the forest cut him off, both cats looking towards the sound. "That sounded like… Smallfire?"

"No time to question, just go!" Leopard said sharply, running out the hollow towards the sound, heading into the forest, again.


	2. Wolfnose Likes Flanks

Leopard was quick to arrive on the scene, witnessing a fight happening a distance away. _Oh no, who's it between?_ He worried in his head, dropping down to a crouch and sneaking his way up to the fight. As he got closer he could barely make out the figure of Smallfire, and Wolfnose. _Wolfnose? Is she sitting out this one? N-no, she would never… would she?_

He moved to the side, seeing the cat Smallfire was fighting, black, green eyes, a green bow-like thing around his tail, and a green collar? _Kittypet, Smallfire is losing a battle to a kittypet.._ Leopard sadly thought, trying to get a better view of the fight.

"Wolfnose, help me out over here!" Smallfire exclaimed, looking at Wolfnose desperately as she looked at the kittypet, eyeing his flank and nodding up and down.

"Yeah, I'll help you later," she murmured, licking her lips as she stared at the kittypets flank.

 _And Wolfnose is in love, with the kittypet._ Leopard could almost feel his soul being taken away from his body as an already injured Foxfire lunged at the black tom, knocking him down on his side and pressing a claw against his neck.

"Thanks for being my distraction, wouldn't have done it without you Smallkit,"Foxfire laughed, using his other paw to hold the kittypets head down, while Smallfire simply let out a 'hmph!' and whacked him with a paw.

"So, who is he anyway boss? He can't be anyone we know, and it can't be anyone Wolfnose would know, we passed Colorado a while ago, and I don't think we were followed by anything- I think." Foxfire said, glancing at the tom on the floor.

"Get off of him! It's my job to do that!" Wolfnose called from her spot, standing up and lunging at Foxfire, who simply whacked her neck with a paw, stopping her in her tracks. "Please?"

 _Great, all of them are delusional…_ Leopard looked around for a closer hiding spot, silently praying that they would all return to their usual selves.

"What's this? Wolfnose actually using her manners? Where has this side of you been all this time?" Foxfire laughed, and from what Leopard could see, Smallfire talking to the cat on the ground.

"Well, maybe you shouldn't use such aggressive force on him then!" Wolnose exclaimed, flicking her tail in Leopards direction.

 _Oh no, they know,_ he fretted, trying to find a way out of the situation, hearing pawsteps behind him.

"Who's being mauled?" Branch spoke behind him, padding forward into clear view.

"Smallfire," Foxfire mused, the tom beneath him squirming and trying to whack anyone who came near him. "Shame he wasn't killed, I could enjoy a nice funeral, talk about how much I miss you," he purred, Smallfire whacking him with a paw.

"Ok, enough joking around, first things first, who is he?" Branch said sternly, flicking to the tom on the floor, who stopped struggling and simply looked up at the group.

When Branch didn't receive an answer he sighed, walked away, picked up a stick, then hurled it at the tom, hitting him square on the head, and nearly hitting Foxfire. "Oi!" Foxfire exclaimed. "Watch where you throw your stick!"

"Sorry not sorry Foxfire, in all honesty you deserved it," Wolfnose said sharply, throwing him off the unconscious cat. "He's alive, we can ask questions when we bring him back to camp."

Leopard walked out the bushes he was hiding in, Shell following close behind him, quickly walking to Branch and nuzzling him for a short while before turning his attention to the other four cats. Leopard took a look at the knocked-out tom and nearly flinched at the blood dripping down his head. _I think Branch went a bit overboard…_ he thought to himself.

"So, we drag him back to camp and then ask him the questions?" Shell asked, helping Wolfnose pick up the tom by the scruff, Wolfnose picking him up by the base of his tail.

"That is correct, yes," Branch answered, whispering something Leopard couldn't make out into Shells ear. Whatever it was, it obviously made Shell either flustered and… flirtatious, twining his tail around Branch and nuzzling him even more.

"Leopard! Come here real quick!" Smallfire called, resting on a slamm patch of grass, covered in scratches and blood. When Leopard came to Smallfires location he recoiled at exactly what parts were scratched. His ear, close to his eye, he could even see scratches on his belly if he looked close enough. "I need you to look after that cat, I need to finish my walk out here, but tell Branch that I placed him under your care."

Leopard tilted his head slightly. "My care? Why? I'm not very good at what I do, and for all I know, he could kill me. I just don't think me looking after him is worth the risk," he pointed out, flicking his tail as he lay down beside Smallfire.

"Because with what Branch was telling Shell, I doubt they'd be able to watch him tonight. They'll be busy doing… other stuff." Smallfire turned away, and Leopard could read on his face that he was embarrassed.

"Oh." Was all that Leopard could say.

"So yeah, I need you to look after him, please. You're the only one left here who has any medical experience, Branch decided to pick you for a reason, and now I'll use this opportunity as a test for you." Smallfire meowed, standing up and turning away. "Good luck, I'll see you at camp tomorrow" Smallfire waved his tail goodbye as he limped off deeper inside the forest..

Leopard nodded swiftly before getting up, looking at Foxfire who was watching Smallfire walk away. "Well, hopefully he doesn't die, I need him to do stuff for me," he muttered, looking at Leopard. "You watch over him, you hear? He's much too young to die now, and we've gone too far for him to simply die of some stupid wounds. When he returns, he is your top priority, you hear?"

"Yep, got it."

"Good."

* * *

Leopard watched as Foxfire stalked away, back to their makeshift camp, his tail dragging along the forest floor. He sighed, turning around to follow, flicking his tail as he made his way back to their camp.

When Leopard returned he could see two things.

One, it was obviously involved in a fight.

Two, the fight was happening right in front of him.

The unknown cat was busy fighting off both Foxfire and Wolfnose, both of whom were somehow not managing to drag him to the ground. Maybe it was how the unknown cat was just gracefully dodging all of their attacks, or maybe it was because Wolfnose was intentionally missing all of her attacks, but there wasn't any progress made.

Then Misty came into the fight.

Leopard made a mental note:

Misty gets things done.

It was scary how good Misty was at doing the things she did, to a point where she just acted like the kittypet was just a piece of prey that tried to kill them. Basically every two days.

Leopard shuddered as Misty both knocked him out again, and threw him inside the hollow that Leopard had taken for his own. "Must you do that? I just finished organizing it- well, not organized but something somewhat organized," Leopard said, slowly padding towards Misty.

"Well, he's already injured, so why not throw him into your hollow? If he starts being rowdy, just… I don't know, feed him stuff until he sleeps again." Misty shrugged, returning to her cuddle spot with the two younger kits.

"O-oh, I guess I have to do that anyways, b-but th-thanks Misty," Leopard coughed out, slowly slinking back into his hollow, seeing the beaten up cat at the other side of the entrance. Leopard flinched slightly, _I guess he did take that bat of a beating, I kinda feel bad for him…_ he thought in his head, settling down in a nest and organizing his herbs that were scattered here and there.

With a sigh, Leopard adjusted the tom and started his work on reorganizing his herbs, silently hoping life would get better than this.


End file.
